Chapter 137
At the press conference, the ceiling above the stage was dotted with countless star-shaped spotlights. A large, ultra-long electronic screen neatly spanned the entire stage. The center of the screen displayed the Huayao Xingyu+ logo, and a gleaming "STAR" hung directly above the center.
This group launch event was imbued with a futuristic, technological feel. Many people's first reaction was to wonder if they'd stumbled upon a new phone launch. It was a stark departure from the flashy, futuristic stages of earlier events. While it might have been futuristic and technological, it was actually a more understated affair.
After Zhou Xiao and Qi Sisi entered the press conference, they each found their seats. She followed the information on the ticket issued by the system and found her seat. As expected, she was seated right next to the official photographer for the press conference.
Just as Zhou Xiao was about to sit down, a leisurely voice called out from the side, "Teacher Zhou, what a coincidence!" Hearing the voice coming from his left, Zhou Xiao turned to see Zhang Hongyu, wearing a small cap and a microphone tucked into his ear, looking at him. Seeing Zhang Hongyu's gloomy expression, Zhou Xiao couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing. Whenever the two of them appeared together, Zhang Hongyu was always the one who got stepped on.
Just like the last red carpet photo, Zhou Xiao, with Lin Qianxia's help, took a group photo of all NINE STAR members. Luckily, it was used by netizens on the forum during the red carpet beauty contest, and everyone's looks were amazing. However, this also gave Zhang Hongyu, who submitted the photo later, a headache. Zhou Xiao had raised the expectations of the members' fans, and many of them started to react negatively. Fortunately, a stunning group photo was produced, and the negative reaction was considered quite tolerant.
The seat tickets issued by the system were specifically chosen to maximize the best possible angle for Zhou Xiao's photography, as evidenced by Zhang Hongyu, the official photographer standing next to him. The stage at the press conference was quite close to the front row, which was ideal for fan interaction with the artists, but very inconvenient for fans or photographers who needed to take photos. Zhou Xiao's current position likely offered the best viewing angle for both sound and image quality, aside from Zhang Hongyu's; otherwise, he wouldn't have been assigned the official photographer's seat (next to the stage).
"I thought you weren't in charge of the stage photography," Zhou Xiao said, looking at Zhang Hongdao. He sighed. While official stage photography in China is certainly difficult, it's also a burgeoning industry. The guy originally in charge of official photography had been sent abroad for further studies by the company, so Zhang Hongyu was assigned to shoot today's press conference.
After Zhang Hongyu briefly explained to Zhou Xiao, he quietly reminded Zhou Xiao, "Don't you want to take a look at the gift box on the chair?"
A gift box? Zhou Xiao followed his gaze and spotted a small black gift box placed at the back of the chair. It looked like a jewelry box, and when he opened it, he saw a silver bracelet with an arc-shaped opening.
The bracelet's centerpiece was a four-pointed star, with the tail of the other end resembling waves on the ocean. In the center of the star sat a yellow gemstone, gleaming brilliantly. Zhou Xiao's first reaction upon seeing the bracelet was, "Could this be a Nine Star group support item?"
As for why Zhou Xiao immediately came to this conclusion, it's worth noting that the yellow gem in the design coincides with NINE STAR's recent fan support color. The star represents the boys, and they (the fans) seem to be tightly embracing the yellow gem, a gesture of thoughtfulness.
Almost everyone at the press conference seemed to have arrived. Zhang Hongyu, standing nearby, whispered with a hint of boasting, "How's it going? Not bad, isn't it?"
Actually, the effect is average, Zhou Xiao looked at the bracelet in her hand. But if the members' designs were included, she should be able to praise the design and workmanship of the bracelet without blushing or beating her heart, just like Zhang Hongyu.
While Zhou Xiao was looking at the bracelet, Zhang Hongyu suddenly became gossipy, "How did you guys handle that offline fan incident?"
"How did you know?" Zhou Xiao frowned for a moment when she heard Zhang Hongyu mention this. Then she realized something and looked at him and asked, "Did the other members know about this too?"
"It's not like you don't have a phone..." Before he could finish his sentence, his headset seemed to activate. Zhang Hongyu, hearing the sound, didn't have time to add anything else before quickly taking his position and pointing his camera at the center of the stage. Zhou Xiao, observing Zhang Hongyu's fluid movements, quickly reacted and pointed his camera at the stage.
The lights dimmed, leaving only the star-like spotlights above the stage to gleam. Suddenly, a voice echoed from the left, and the entire stage lit up. * "Hello everyone, I'm He Yunli, the host of the NINE STAR group press conference!"
The host, dressed in a suit, stood on the stage, introducing himself and enthusiastically responding to the audience. Soon, the electronic screen behind him began introducing the members of NINE STAR. Zhou Xiao could vaguely hear someone in the front muttering, "This isn't a product launch, why haven't they come on stage yet?"
The next second, silhouettes of all NINE STAR members appeared on the large electronic screen. A cloud of dry ice formed on the small stage, and within this hazy smoke, a group of young people quickly ran out from backstage.
"Three, two, one, hello everyone, founders! We are NINE STAR!" The young men on the stage shouted in unison. As the team leader, Wu Yanyan also led all the members to bow to the audience.
Tonight, the young men were all dressed in black tuxedos. Zhou Xiao's gaze drifted to Ji Shao on the stage. His tuxedo was also exquisite and dazzling, with metal chains wrapped around his chest, evoking an elegance that seemed to be written in calligraphy. His gentle, jade-like temperament and nobleness collided, seemingly overflowing on this small stage.
A flash of light suddenly caught Zhou Xiao's eye. She noticed a sparkling object on Ji Shao's left ear, a striking sight. She instinctively zoomed in with her camera and focused it on the earring. She breathed a sigh of relief. It was a diamond earring. On stage, it would reflect back from the flashbulbs below, making it incredibly dazzling.
When the members introduced themselves and began their speeches, Zhou Xiao wasn't sure if they'd heard from Zhang Hongyu that the members knew what had happened offline, or if it was just a psychological effect. She thought Yan Shu looked listless on stage, lacking his usual energy.
Ji Shao, who was standing next to him, reminded him many times. With Ji Shao's reminder, Yan Shu was able to read out the manuscript he had prepared earlier without any danger.
Ji Shao, the penultimate speaker, had shed the immaturity of his Star 101 days. The youngsters had grown rapidly in the past month. He looked even thinner than the last time they met, but as Ji Shao's bony hands gripped the black microphone, Zhou Xiao could sense his vibrant energy, filled with hard work and perseverance, on this stage.
After all the NINE STAR members finished their speeches, the person who came on stage was Zong Zhengqian, whom Zhou Xiao had met once during the Star 101 finals. She was accompanied by Lin Qianxia, an old acquaintance of Zhou Xiao.
When Zong Zhengqian took the stage, the audience erupted in boos. Simply because, as the head director of the Star 101 production team, she was younger, more capable, and sharper than the director role imagined by fans.
The brand positioning that appeared on the big screen was also methodically broken down by her, showing the brand value of NINE STAR to the partners in the audience and the customers waiting to cooperate in front of the screen.
A brand needs a story. As China's first talent show, "Star Path 101" was groundbreaking and unique, and with it came the brand's values and tone. Zhou Xiao, in the audience, thought Zong Zhengqian truly remarkable. At least within her field, she was able to expand on boring content and provide greater value to partners from a whole new dimension.
As soon as this segment ended, the electronic screen on the stage opened a new section - Product Planning
Zhou Xiao noticed that besides the fans themselves, many people were filming with their phones. Huayao Xingyu's focus on NINE STAR's future plans was evident, with the PowerPoint presentation being particularly lengthy. The product plan represents the areas NINE STAR will be involved in, including music and music videos, group variety shows (both light and large), stage performances, and, most crucially, variety shows and film and television productions rooted in the domestic entertainment industry.
When the second half of the performance began, fans in the audience were in disbelief. Could Huayao actually be so savvy? While these were just empty promises made by the management company, the larger implication of this pie was that the management company understood how to adapt to the Chinese entertainment landscape. In a Chinese entertainment industry where the space for singing and dancing artists is relatively limited, what is needed is more opportunities to showcase their talents.
The atmosphere at the event reached a climax when Zong Zhengqian unveiled her brand partnerships. Nine Star's already announced endorsement partnerships include Blueberry Video, the image ambassador for Shanghai's Huashang District, and McDonald's. Newly announced endorsements include the national brand Shujiu (whose leaked content was leaked a while ago), as well as ZiZi potato chips, Xincheng chocolate, XS perfume, and S.W. baseball uniforms.
The partner brands' display on the electronic screen was short, but in those few seconds, Zhou Xiao believed the list of partners had already been quickly posted online by the media representatives and marketing accounts present. Even if only one of these endorsements were released per week, it would last for over a month, not to mention that these were just the publicly available ones. He believed that once NINE STAR's brand value was exposed to the public, more business opportunities would come their way.
Zong Zhengqian on the stage looked at the audience who were still immersed in excitement and smiled slightly. When the buffer time left for everyone was about to end, she signaled to the host beside her that she could let the agents of the members' original economic companies come on stage to take a group photo.
Soon, the members of NINE STAR, each accompanied by their managers, took the stage. From the audience, Zhou Xiao spotted Song Xiao standing behind Ji Shao, and Lin Qianxia, flanked by Zong Zhengqian, who formed a single line. He couldn't help but sigh, "It's a small world!" And then there was Zhang Hongyu, diligently taking photos next to him. This was truly a gathering of familiar faces.
The stage for the group's press conference was quite large, and each member had the support of their original management company behind them. While watching the various agents chatting on stage, Zhou Xiao unexpectedly caught Song Xiao's eye. Song Xiao seemed to recognize Zhou Xiao and then pointed Ji Shao in several directions below the stage.
I couldn't help but guess that it was Song Xiao who pointed out the several station girls he'd spotted to Ji Shao. Soon, with Ji Shao keeping his distance, his gaze shifted towards Zhou Xiao. It was as if the light was dark, and Ji Shao was a little surprised to realize Zhou Xiao was actually next to the official photographer. But then Zhou Xiao saw Ji Shao, dressed in a dignified outfit tonight, tilting his head and sweetly making a heart shape with his cheek in her direction.
“…”
The sound of shutter clicks erupted around him. Zhou Xiao looked at Ji Shao, who had returned to normal in the camera. Good boy, you understand contrast!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
